Steve Levicoff has passed away

R.I.P.

https://www.jewishexponent.com/death_notice/steven-levicoff/

 

I don't want to rip the guy, and he was certainly a major contributor to the discussions, but Steve could be unrealistically antagonistic, too.

His "I have an RA doctorate and you don't" attitude was really troubling at times. Lording over people simply because he had a PhD from Union--a school constantly in trouble with various forces--was unseemly. Frankly, he was a nightmare to a lot of people, me included. He exaggerated things, ignored facts counter to his opinions, and attacked people relentlessly--especially those new to the board. If they said something naive, he attacked like a white blood cell after an infection. Some people seemed to enjoy this. I did not.

Steve fought a lot of good fights. But he fought a lot of bad ones, too. With an utter lack of manners and respect. It's simple to treat every issue as binary, but true judgment often lies somewhere in between. Steve never had much patience for subtlety and nuance. Attack dogs never do.

I'm sorry he's gone. But I'm also sorry for all the opportunities that someone as intelligent and talented as Steve should not have missed. Perhaps I failed him by opposing him instead of finding common ground. I don't know. But I wish he'd lived much longer, for he seemed to enjoy it so.

 

What I’ve always appreciated about Dr. Steve Levicoff—may he rest in peace—is the way he stood up for students, especially those misled by predatory or substandard institutions.
Steve called things out directly and without apology.

He didn’t just critique shady practices—he equipped students with the tools to defend themselves. Whether it was a case of diploma mills, unrecognized accreditors, or religious schools operating without oversight, he was often the lone voice saying what needed to be said.

His book Name It and Frame It? was a landmark work. It pulled back the curtain on how some religious and nontraditional schools operated, exposing the misuse of religious exemptions and the loopholes in accreditation that left students vulnerable. It wasn’t just a rant—it was a researched, legally grounded piece that empowered people to ask the right questions before enrolling.

Steve had a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind. But at his core, he was motivated by fairness, accountability, and protecting people from being taken advantage of. That’s what I respected most about him.